Routines are very important to small children so they are very important at Otter Creek too!
Each program will have its own schedule for morning snack (provided by the Center), lunch, naps and afternoon snack (also provided.)

Signing In and Out	Parents are responsible for signing their children in and out of the Center each day. There are sheets placed outside each of the rooms for this purpose. It is essential that parents remember to do this. It is also a State fire safety requirement and it is our only record of who is here in case of a fire.
Clothing	Children should come to the Center comfortably dressed in play clothes that are easy to fasten and unfasten for toileting. We do a lot of messy activities each day, so it is important to send your child in clothes that can get dirty! Since children will be going outdoors to play on most days, please dress your child appropriately, especially in the colder weather. All children need to have two complete changes of clothing suitable for the season. It is especially important to have extra shirts, socks, pants, and underwear. During the winter, snowsuits, boots, hats, and mittens (attached to the coat) are necessities. During the summer, children must have appropriate clothing for water play. Toilet-trained children need a bathing suit. For sanitation reasons, children in diapers must have waterproof "swimming" diapers or plastic diaper covers. For older children, these clothing changes can be kept in their cubbies. We ask that parents check cubbies daily to be sure there are adequate changes for their child. PLEASE LABEL ALL ITEMS WITH YOUR CHILD'S NAME! Indelible markers work well for this purpose.
Food	Please send a prepared lunch you are fairly certain your child will eat. Suggestions on workable bag lunches include: yogurt, a cup of fruit, last night's dinner, cheese, slightly cooked vegetables, etc. Very young children tend not to do well with sandwiches and very thin soups, but again we know there are many individual differences. You can place lunch bags and boxes (with your child's name on them) in the refrigerator in your child's room. If your child will be attending for a particularly long day, please include enough protein-rich food for the whole day. Breastfeeding is strongly encouraged and supported. If you are expressing milk, please let the teacher know if it is fresh or frozen when you leave the bottle. Formula must be pre-mixed and brought to the Center in bottles clearly marked with the child's name. Please supply enough formula and clean bottles for your child for the day. This is very important because state law prohibits us from preparing formula at the Center. We prefer not to let infants fall asleep with bottles unless they are being rocked to sleep. Please let the teacher know your preference. Pacifiers will be given to any child whose parents supply them.
Naps	We will arrange naps for whenever children are tired. Infants will be sleeping in cribs and older children on washable mats. As infants get older, teachers will work toward a regular naptime after lunch. Individual variations will be happily accommodated. We welcome your suggestions about ways to help your child fall asleep. Parents of older children need to provide bedding for napping purposes. Children are not allowed to sleep directly on the mat surface so you will need to provide two blankets, a blanket and a sheet, or a sleeping bag. If your child is in the Sea Pup group, you need to provide two crib sheets and a blanket. These must be taken home each Friday to be washed. This is a state sanitary requirement and we depend on you to follow through in this area. Please be sure your child's name is clearly marked on blankets and sheets.
Diapers	If you choose to use cloth diapers, please bring an individual diaper pail or medium-sized plastic bags with your supply of cloth diapers. You must take this home and return it daily, as teachers cannot wash out the diapers. Our ordinary procedure is to wash the child's bottom with clear water, or soap if needed, and put on fresh diapers. We prefer not to use powder but will use whatever you request and supply for redness.
Toilet Training	Children at Otter Creek are at varying stages of toilet training. Communication between parents and staff are key to successful toilet training, keeping in mind that it is the child, not the adults, who will ultimately determine when he or she will be trained. We will make every effort to work with parents on the toilet-training process, but may sometimes request that a child we feel is not developmentally ready be left in diapers until a later time. This is not a reflection on the age at which you plan to train your child, only the reality of needing to care for a group of children so that we cannot devote full time to the training of one.
Celebrations	We encourage you to join your child's group on birthdays or other special family times. If you would like to provide a special snack for these occasions, please let us know. We ask that birthday snacks be healthy snacks, such as muffins and fruit breads, carrot cake, and dried fruits. Be creative! Help us encourage good nutrition by providing healthy birthday treats!
Walks and Field Trips	Walks provide children with interesting experiences outside the Center. Walks are a regular part of the daily schedule and the Center has developed specific guidelines to ensure the safety of the children while they are away from the Center. Children may go to the municipal gym, the library, the downtown area, or the college. Special field trips to the orchard, fire station, etc., will be scheduled occasionally. Parents will be notified ahead of time of these outings and will be asked to sign a special permission slip so their child may attend. Any field trip that requires children to ride in cars will require a permission slip and teachers may ask parents to leave car seats or to help with the driving. Please let us know if you would like to be involved in any of these trips. Your help is always appreciated!
Fire Drills	We are required to have fire drills periodically throughout the year. This will be done with as few children present as possible, since the alarm can be frightening to young children. The Center is equipped with a complete fire alarm system and a sprinkler system. We have in place an emergency fire escape plan that the staff will use in case of an emergency.
Weather Emergencies	On days when the schools are closed because of hazardous road conditions, OCCC will make every effort to be open. The number of children we can accept on those days, however, is contingent on the number of teachers present at the Center. Parents can listen to WFAD (1490 AM), to find out if we will be closed. Parents can also call the Center after 6:30 a.m. to listen for a special message on the answering machine. If we are open, parents must call the Center to see whether there is room for their child at that time. The teachers who are present will make the decision about how many children can come using the State of Vermont adult/child ratio guidelines. Given the fact that groups may be mixed on those days, it is safe to say that we will be able to take four or five children for each teacher present, depending on the ages of the children. If we already have the maximum number of children for the teachers present and there is a chance that another teacher will make it to work, we will put any additional children on a waiting list to be called when the next teacher arrives. If you arrive at the Center without calling ahead, you may be asked to stay with your child until we have enough staffing to accommodate him or her. Also, if conditions during the day become hazardous, the Center reserves the right to close early. In such a case, parents will be called and expected to pick up their children.

Otter Creek Child Center Inc.